Here and Now

Connor Rhodes struggles with life choices. He will never be like his father.

I own nothing.

CH. 1

He washed up his face slowly. As if he was avoiding having to turn around and face life. He'd been in surgery for hours and this day off sounded like heaven. But when you had a 5 and a half year old, that wasn't an option.

Honestly? He never thought he'd be a father. He hadn't had his mother to guide him and Cornelius wasn't exactly father material.

But he'd found himself with a baby and a note that said she was happier with his money than his kid.
So it had been just him to fend for. He'd hadn't planned for it to happen, not when he had decided to come back to the US.

Now he had moved his kid back to Chicago to start working at Chicago Med. He'd made friends and fellows and even had a girlfriend who had not run away when she found out he was a single father.

Robyn was just really great. And he thought this was for the win.

Until she had gotten sick. And now he had to walk on his toes. And drag his kid down along with it all. But her heart was as pure as they could get.

He could tell she missed Robyn, but after things had gotten really bad Connor had to make a choice.

Natalie had jumped into action to help him, she'd said something about single parents sticking together.
Will wasn't too happy about it, the fact that Connor and Natalie had gotten really close.

But he dealt with it in his own way.

"Daddy?" He heard a small voice on the other side of the door. "Daddy, are you done? Can we have breakfast now?"
Connor sighed. He turned around to push the door open. Matching green eyes met and a grin appeared on the girl's lips.
"I thought you'd never leave the bathroom." Hannah said dramatically. Connor laughed.

"Who would feed you then?" She shrugged. Connor picked her up and she squealed in delight. "Alright munchkin, how about we take ten minutes." He carried her back to the bed and tossed her over playfully. "Daddy just needs a minute."

"Was someone hurt?" Hannah asked curiously."Did you fix them?"

"I did, that's why I called Meghan so she could stay over with you."

"She's gone now. She had a date."

Gone? At seven in the morning? Oh to be young again...

"A date?" Oh lord. "Did she now?"

"Yep. She said she was going to go out with someone and was glad you didn't work today." Hannah explained. "Is he okay now? The person that was hurt?"

"She will get better. That's what counts" Connor smiled. He touched Hannah's nose slightly. "So? What are we having for breakfast?"

"Cookies?" She had to try.

"We're not having cookies for breakfast. No matter how exhausted I am. " Connor said. "How about pancakes?"

Hannah put a finger on her chin. "Can we watch Elena first?"

"I thought you said you were hungry?" Connor sighed.

"Yes, but I am not that hungry Daddy." She rolled her eyes at him.

They decided to make it a late breakfast as neither of them were to keen to get out of bed. Truth be told, a perfect moment for him these days was to be cuddled with his kid watching cartoons.

"I was wondering when you'd show up." A grave voice caught Connor's attention. Dennis of Dennis's Diner smiled at his two usual costumers.

As Connor had been dealing with everything Robyn, it had just been Hannah and Meghan coming for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

"Girls haven't caused too much trouble, have they?" Connor asked as he led Hannah into a booth."How is that valve working?"

"It's there, still keeping me here doc." Dennis smiled.

"What don't you come by the hospital and I'll check you out. See how you're doing?"

"Will do. Thank you. So, what are we having this morning?"

"Do you have your Christmas cookies?" Hannah asked, Connor eyed his daughter and her usual accomplice.

"You're not having cookies for breakfast, remember?"

"I mean for later, Daddy." Hannah said in a matter of facty.

"Of course you did." Connor winked at Dennis. "We'll have some pancakes, chocolate milk and coffee."

"Alright then." Dennis said. "And while I'm back there I'll check on those cookies."

"Thanks."

"You got it doc." The older man said

He'd gotten an emergency call from Dr. Latham. Connor cursed under his breath as he drove to the hospital, his kid in the backseat.

"Daddy?" Hannah was cuddled up in a warm jacket as they drove. "Can we visit Robyn?"

His little girl, bless her heart, had never met her mother and Robyn had been the closest she'd had to some kind of normalcy but... things had gotten a bit out of hand with him trying to balance everything in his life.

Robyn was still struggling and he and Dr. Charles had made some decisions on her behalf.

"We'll see baby, I'm hoping this is quick and we won't make it home late, okay?"

"Okay." She smiled at him and he did too.

"Dr. Rhodes?" Maggie asked. "I thought you had the day off?"

"Had, I guess. Maggie, could you..." Connor held Hannah close to his chest as he handed her off to the head nurse. "I gotta go munchkin. Be good." He kissed her forehead quickly.

"Of course, come here sweetie." She said with a smile. The little girl watched as her father dashed off. "Don't you worry, let's see what we have in the doctor's lounge that could be fun, okay?"

He'd been stuck in surgery for almost four hours when he made it back down.

"Connor? Everything okay?" It was Natalie. "I saw Hannah..."

"Oh hey, yeah I got called in." He said tiredly. "Where is she?" Natalie followed him into the room where he found Hannah cuddled up in a blanket.

"She dozed off an hour ago..." Natalie said. Connor moved up to watch his child for a minute. "She was asking about Robyn."

"I told her I'd see if we could visit her but I didn't want to get her hopes up." Connor admitted, getting the little girl's hair away from her face. "I don't know if Robyn will be up to it though."

"I'm sure she will be happy to see you both." Natalie told him. "It's been a while since she's seen Hannah."

"Yeah..."

"Daddy..." two pair of green eyes looked up at him.

"Hey princess." Connor kissed her hand. "How are you doing?"

"Daddy, can we go visit Robyn now?" She asked. Connor turned back to Natalie.

"I don't know sweetie."

"Please daddy, you said we could."

"I said we might be able to, but I don't know how she feels."

"Then we'll make her feel better." Hannah pressed on.

"Not today baby, I'm sorry." Connor said pressing his lips. "Another day, okay? We have to tell her doctors first." Hannah eyed Natalie.

"How about you two come home with me and Will and we make it a movie night? You can see Owen. What do you think?"

"Can we daddy?" Hannah asked.

Later, Connor carried his little girl up to her bed later that night. She had asleep during the ride home. Movie night had been a hit with Will and Natalie. Hannah and Owen were too happy yo be able to pick the movie so they all had to sit down to another round of Finding Dory.

She fuzzed in his arms as he laid her down. "Shh..." He tried to get her dressed in her PJ'S as fast as he could so she wouldn't wake up. Once he was done he tucked her in and kissed her forehead.

He moved back into his own room and washed his face.

Just as his day started, it had ended.

Here's chapter one! Daddy Connor is one of my favorite concepts and wait because there will be more where that came from.

Hope you liked it.